In vitro characteristics of uveal malignant melanomas
N. T. Felberg, T. Mione, J. A. Shields and J. L. Federman
During a 17-month period, 33 histologically proved posterior uveal
melanomas were prepared for in vitro cultivation in our laboratory. Nine of
these remained in culture from five to 12 passages. Four tumors
histologically classified as heavily pigmented spindle B cell type remained
as pigmented spindle cell tumors in primary culture. During subcultivation
one culture lost pigmentation and exhibited mixed cells. Three other
tumors, classified histologically as lightly pigmented spindle B cell type,
appeared as amelanotic mixed cells in primary culture and grew as
epithelioid cells during subcultivation. Two tumors classified as mixed
cell type grew as spindle cells in primary culture. One of these last
cultures reverted to mixed cell type on subcultivation. One cell culture
has shown pigmentary and morphologic changes with variations in carbon
dioxide level and media composition.
